Homebrewed Christianity

Jeffrey D. Sachs: Ethics in Action

Jeffrey D. Sachs is a world-renowned economics professor, bestselling author, innovative educator, and global leader in sustainable development. I am thrilled to welcome him to the podcast as we discuss ethics, economics, ecology, and our global future. In a new edited volume, Ethics in Action for Sustainable Development, Sachs brings together leaders from different religious and moral traditions from across the globe to wrestle with our collective task expressed in the UN’s sustainable development goals. This ground-breaking text served to inspire our conversation! Sachs is widely recognized for bold and effective strategies to address complex challenges, including the escape from extreme poverty, the global battle against human-induced climate change, international debt and financial crises, national economic reforms, and the control of pandemic and epidemic diseases. Sachs serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he holds the rank of University Professor, the university’s highest academic rank. Sachs was Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University from 2002 to 2016. He is President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Co-Chair of the Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, academician of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences at the Vatican, Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Development, Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Honorary Distinguished Professor at Sunway University, and SDG Advocate for UN Secretary General António Guterres. From 2001-18, Sachs served as Special Advisor to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan (2001-7), Ban Ki-moon (2008-16), and António Guterres (2017-18). Sachs has authored and edited numerous books, including three New York Times bestsellers: The End of Poverty (2005), Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet (2008), and The Price of Civilization (2011). Other books include To Move the World: JFK’s Quest for Peace (2013), The Age of Sustainable Development (2015), Building the New American Economy: Smart, Fair & Sustainable (2017), A New Foreign Policy: Beyond American Exceptionalism (2018), The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (2020), and most recently, Ethics in Action for Sustainable Development (2022). Sachs is the 2022 recipient of the Tang Prize in Sustainable Development and was the co-recipient of the 2015 Blue Planet Prize, the leading global prize for environmental leadership. He was twice named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential world leaders. Sachs has received 41 honorary doctorates, and his recent awards include the 2022 Tang Prize in Sustainable Development, the Legion of Honor by decree of the President of the Republic of France, and the Order of the Cross from the President of Estonia. Prior to joining Columbia, Sachs spent over twenty years as a professor at Harvard University, most recently as the Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Sachs received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees at Harvard. Lexington Theological Seminary is the sponsor for this Episode. Lexington Theological Seminary is a pioneer in online theological education. Both the Doctoral and Masters programs are designed with the flexibility and contextual focus needed for the working student. You can learn more by heading here. Here are a few episodes with a couple of their Profs Leah Schade & Wilson Dickinson: Faith During an Ecological Collapse Leah Schade: Preaching in a time of Crisis from Corona to Climate Wilson Dickinson: Faith After a Neo-liberal Compliant Church   Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homebrewed Christianity’s 15th Birthday Party w/ the BoDaddy & Tony Jones

the BoDaddy Returns + I battle Tony Jones in au contraire mon frère + Longtime listeners & friends in the chat = EPIC 15th Birthday Party for Homebrewed Christianity. I am so extremely grateful for the community around the podcast and the wonderful people who have become friends over the last 15 years. You can keep up with the fresh stuff Bo Sanders is doing here and follow Tony Jones’ work here. The last 15 minutes of this episode are very important to me. There I give a toast to my original co-host Chad Crawford and then give a tipsy sermonic reflection on friendship. It wasn’t planned, but it does capture my love for   Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Dominic Crossan: How to think about Jesus like a Historian

John Dominic Crossan returns to the podcast to discuss how a historian thinks about Jesus. You will hear him outline the basic framework he operates from before tackling several different topics and questions sent in by members of the Easter Stories group. In the conversation, we mention some Dom’s books including The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography, and Resurrecting Easter. John Dominic Crossan is an Irish-American biblical scholar with two-year post-doctoral diplomas in exegesis from Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute and in archeology from Jerusalem’s École Biblique. He has been a mendicant friar and a catholic priest, a Co-Chair of the Jesus Seminar, and a President of the Society of Biblical Literature. His focus, whether scholarly or popular, in books, videos, or lectures, is on the historical Jesus as the norm and criterion for the entire Christian Bible. His reconstructed Jesus incarnates nonviolent resistance to the Romanization of his Jewish homeland and future hope of a transformed world and transfigured earth. Crossan’s method is to situate biblical texts within the reconstructed matrix of their own genre and purpose, their own time and place, and to hear them accurately for then before accepting or rejecting them for now. Previous Podcast Episodes with Dom & Tripp the Last Week of Jesus’ Life Jesus, Paul, & Bible Questions Saving the Biblical Christmas Stories the most important discovery for understanding Jesus The Bible, Violence, & Our Future Resurrecting Easter on the First Christmas  From Jesus’ Parables to Parables of God 
Render Unto Caesar on God & Empire This Episode is Sponsored By Christian Theologial Seminary Are you discerning a call to ministry or leadership? Christian Theological Seminary understands you can’t put your life on pause to complete your Master of Divinity degree. Thanks to new remote learning technology and their redesigned MDiv, you no longer have to. Their redesigned MDiv program now offers remote learning options for completing classes without eliminating the traditional in-person classroom experience. With consistent course offerings and individualized degree mapping, students can complete the required credit hours at their own pace with minimal on-site intensive days, creating an equitable experience from anywhere. They’re bringing CTS to you and opening access to excellent preparation for ministry and ordination. Learn more at www.CTS.edu Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diana Butler Bass: American Saints in a Cynical Age

This is the first session with me and Diana’s Lenten class Empty Altars: American Saints in a Cynical Age. We hope you enjoy it and consider joining the group. If you enjoy this, check out the upcoming lent group with Diana and me – Empty Altars:American Saints in a Cynical Age. We live in iconoclastic times. All around us, saints and heroes are being knocked off or taken down from public altars. It seems that nearly everyone we once admired or held in esteem has failed us. We’ve stripped the altars of both state and church. America’s spiritual landscape is now marked by empty altars everywhere. Taking down statues is nothing new, especially in Christian history. Cynicism and anger at failed institutions and flawed heroes is nothing new. But human beings rarely leave altars empty very long — there’s almost a pressing need to re-sanctify the geographies we inhabit. People always put statues back up. But of who? And to commemorate what? How do we move ahead with new saints and a less troublesome iconography? What “saints†can inspire us to address the hurts of our hearts, the brokenness of our communities, and the pressing issues of our times? Shouldn’t we just give up on the whole idea of saints anyway? Why bother? Join Diana and Tripp this Lentas they explore “sainthood†for an American — and global — future. We’ll share stories that need to be told of “saints†you know and those you need to know in a quirky learning journey through American religious history. This episode is Sponsored by the Cornerstone Fund. You can earn 3.75% interest on a new 18-month term investment in faith-based and socially responsible investments. Check out the United Church of Christ’s Cornerstone Fund to invest in and build Community across the country. Visit www.cornerstonefund.org or call 888-UCC-FUND to learn more. Their staff is available to assist you on your investment journey. Previous Episodes with Diana & Tripp Ruining Dinner… and Date Nights Welcome to the Post-Christian Century Ruining Christmas Dinner Ruining Election Night Dinner The Over-Rated Genie God Bad Blood, Civil War, and other Soothing Topics Shall the Fundies (Keep) Winning?, Abortion, and Black Holes Theology and Spirituality in a Time of Rupture White Evangelical Theopolitics, John Shelby Spong, & Jesus 20 Years of Religious Decline Jesus After Religion and Beyond Fear Ruining Dinner with Diana Butler Bass and Robyn Henderson-Espinoza Evangelical Decline, the Supreme Court, and the Horizon of Possibility Debating, Praying, and Living with Tyrants Religion, Politics, & the Elephant in the Room Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Dominic Crossan: the Last Week of Jesus’ Life

What do we know about the last week of Jesus’ life? Why was Jesus executed? In this visual lecture, renowned Historical Jesus scholar John Dominic Crossan will walk us through a historical reconstruction of Jesus’ last week, ending in his crucifixion. Attending to the historical matrix of Jesus helps provide a rich context for exploring the challenge and meaning the execution of Jesus could have for us today. You can access the online visual lecture series “Easter Stories” and join the five live QnA sessions by going to www.EasterWithCrossan.com John Dominic Crossan is an Irish-American biblical scholar with two-year post-doctoral diplomas in exegesis from Rome’s Pontifical Biblical Institute and in archeology from Jerusalem’s École Biblique. He has been a mendicant friar and a catholic priest, a Co-Chair of the Jesus Seminar, and a President of the Society of Biblical Literature. His focus, whether scholarly or popular, in books, videos, or lectures, is on the historical Jesus as the norm and criterion for the entire Christian Bible. His reconstructed Jesus incarnates nonviolent resistance to the Romanization of his Jewish homeland and future hope of a transformed world and transfigured earth. Crossan’s method is to situate biblical texts within the reconstructed matrix of their own genre and purpose, their own time and place, and to hear them accurately for then before accepting or rejecting them for now. Previous Podcast Episodes with Dom & Tripp Jesus, Paul, & Bible Questions Saving the Biblical Christmas Stories the most important discovery for understanding Jesus The Bible, Violence, & Our Future Resurrecting Easter on the First Christmas  From Jesus’ Parables to Parables of God 
Render Unto Caesar on God & Empire Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diana Butler Bass: Ruining Dinner… and Date Nights

I got to join Diana Butler Bass at the Southern Lights festival over MLK weekend where we recorded this live edition of Ruining Dinner. To be a part of future zoom sessions of the series and get access to past gatherings,  join Diana’s newsletter community, the Cottage &/or the Homebrewed Community. If you enjoy this, check out the upcoming lent group with Diana and me – Empty Altars: American Saints in a Cynical Age. We live in iconoclastic times. All around us, saints and heroes are being knocked off or taken down from public altars. It seems that nearly everyone we once admired or held in esteem has failed us. We’ve stripped the altars of both state and church. America’s spiritual landscape is now marked by empty altars everywhere. Taking down statues is nothing new, especially in Christian history. Cynicism and anger at failed institutions and flawed heroes is nothing new. But human beings rarely leave altars empty very long — there’s almost a pressing need to re-sanctify the geographies we inhabit. People always put statues back up. But of who? And to commemorate what? How do we move ahead with new saints and a less troublesome iconography? What “saints” can inspire us to address the hurts of our hearts, the brokenness of our communities, and the pressing issues of our times? Shouldn’t we just give up on the whole idea of saints anyway? Why bother? Join Diana and Tripp this Lent as they explore “sainthood” for an American — and global — future. We’ll share stories that need to be told of “saints” you know and those you need to know in a quirky learning journey through American religious history. Previous Episodes with Diana & Tripp Welcome to the Post-Christian Century Ruining Christmas Dinner Ruining Election Night Dinner The Over-Rated Genie God Bad Blood, Civil War, and other Soothing Topics Shall the Fundies (Keep) Winning?, Abortion, and Black Holes Theology and Spirituality in a Time of Rupture White Evangelical Theopolitics, John Shelby Spong, & Jesus 20 Years of Religious Decline Jesus After Religion and Beyond Fear Ruining Dinner with Diana Butler Bass and Robyn Henderson-Espinoza Evangelical Decline, the Supreme Court, and the Horizon of Possibility Debating, Praying, and Living with Tyrants Religion, Politics, & the Elephant in the Room Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Philip Clayton: On the Meaning of Life

Philip Clayton returns to the podcast! We recorded this LIVE at the 50th Anniversary conference for the Center for Process Studies. What better time than to figure out the meaning of life….  As a scholar, Philip Clayton (Ingraham Professor, Claremont School of Theology) works at the intersection points of science, philosophy, and theology. As an activist (president of EcoCiv.org, President of IPDC), he works to convene, facilitate, and catalyze multi-sectoral initiatives toward ecological civilization. When Phil and I got done, Sarah Heath was joined by Thomas Jay Oord and Mason Mennenga for a timely exploration of love advice from a process-relational perspective. This is what nerds do late at night on Valentine’s Day:) the new John Cobb book I edited for his 98th Birthday John Cobb is a Christian Theologian. Yet, he is just as likely to be known to economists, scientists, philosophers, environmentalists, educators, and activists. Some could say he left behind his task as a Christian theologian venturing across so many fields, but as this collection of Cobb’s theological writing will demonstrate, it is precisely his passion for the one Jesus called Abba that animated his powerful and prophetic intellectual and movement invest in so many of the most pressing and challenging centers of intellectual inquiry. Yes, Cobb is a Christian theologian, but more than that, a model of just what kind of theologian is needed in our age and beyond. This selection of essays was compiled from John B. Cobb, Jr.’s writings over the decades to celebrate his 98th birthday. The Process Party Teach-In If you have wanted to learn about Process theology and philosophy, but wondered where to begin, check out this one-day teach-in I helped put together. It brings together some amazing speakers for a hybrid event. You will be guided into the Process vision by some of the best communicators during this one-day teach-in.  This event is donation based (including 0), so join the nerdy fun and tell your friends! Previous Podcast Convos w/ Philip on the Mindfulness of Nature The Theology of Wolfhart Pannenberg w/ Philip Clayton Finding God in Everyone and Everywhere w/ Philip Clayton and Andrew Davis Can a process theologian be an Evangelical & other questions with Philip Clayton The #GodDebacle w/ Philip Clayton and LeRon Shults Philip Clayton on the Shape of Postmodern Theology Party Time with Philip Clayton for “The Predicament of Belief†Bootlegged Christianity with Philip Clayton, Jack Caputo, Bill Mallonee, Peter Rollins, & Jay Bakker Philip Clayton on The Resurrection, Trinity, Eschatology & the Predicament of Belief Coming to Jesus with Daniel Kirk & Philip Clayton Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Love & the Power of God LIVE in Napa

This episode was recorded live in Napa, CA at the ‘Love and the Power of God‘ conference. It was a complete blast! You will hear from a bunch of regulars on the podcast, as well as a few first timers. If you have wanted to learn about Process theology and philosophy, but wondered where to begin, then check out this one-day teach-in I helped put together. It brings together some amazing speakers for a hybrid event. You will be guided into the Process vision by some of the best communicators during this one-day teach-in. You can join online or in person and watch the sessions live or on your schedule. This event is donation based (including 0), so join the nerdy fun and tell your friends! Get some info and sign-up HERE for the Process Party. To join the 50th Anniversary Celebration and Conference for the Center for Process Studies head over HERE This episode is Sponsored by the Cornerstone Fund. You can earn 3.75% interest on a new 18-month term investment in faith-based and socially responsible investments. Check out the United Church of Christ’s Cornerstone Fund to invest in and build Community across the country. Visit www.cornerstonefund.org or call 888-UCC-FUND to learn more. Their staff is available to assist you on your investment journey. Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pete Enns & Tony Jones Love Baseball

This is a special episode with two friends. Pete and Tony had a spectacular conversation at Theology Beer Camp where Pete shared a bit about his BRAND NEW BOOK – Curve Ball: WHen Your Faith Takes Turns You Never Saw Coming – and baseball. Since Tony’s podcast, The Reverend Hunter, is not about theology and baseball, I decided to release it here and remind you about Pete’s new book. Before they get going, Tony joins me for a full-throated HBC intro… like 15 minute style:) Enjoy. Peter Enns (Ph.D., Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of biblical studies at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. He has written numerous books, including The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, and How the Bible Actually Works. Tony Jones is the author of Did God Kill Jesus? (HarperOne, 2015) and contributing writer to several outdoors periodicals. He’s written a dozen books, including The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier and The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life, developed the iPhone app, hosts the Reverend Hunter Podcast, and teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary. Tony is a sought-after speaker and consultant in the areas of emerging church, postmodernism, and Christian spirituality, writing, and the outdoors. He served as a consultant on the television show, The Path, and he owns an event planning company, Crucible Creative. He holds an A.B. from Dartmouth College, an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Princeton Theological Seminary. Previous Episodes with Pete Enns God-Pod Party Adaptive Christianity & the God of the Bible Don’t Sin. Doubt. For The Bible Tells Me So Previous Episodes with Tony Jones Camp Games & a Little Theology The Future of Evangelicalism is (NOT) David Brooks the Post-Emergent Church Tony Jones & Peter Rollins on #TheGreatDebacle Devilpalooza There are tons… you can scroll them here
Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bill Leonard & Diana Butler Bass: Welcome to the Post-Christian Century

In this episode, two of my favorite Church Historians join the podcast for a tricky but needed conversation on the changing shape of American religion. It is so much fun! If you enjoy this, check out the upcoming lent group with Diana and me – Empty Altars: American Saints in a Cynical Age. We live in iconoclastic times. All around us, saints and heroes are being knocked off or taken down from public altars. It seems that nearly everyone we once admired or held in esteem has failed us. We’ve stripped the altars of both state and church. America’s spiritual landscape is now marked by empty altars everywhere. Taking down statues is nothing new, especially in Christian history. Cynicism and anger at failed institutions and flawed heroes is nothing new. But human beings rarely leave altars empty very long — there’s almost a pressing need to re-sanctify the geographies we inhabit. People always put statues back up. But of who? And to commemorate what? How do we move ahead with new saints and a less troublesome iconography? What “saints” can inspire us to address the hurts of our hearts, the brokenness of our communities, and the pressing issues of our times? Shouldn’t we just give up on the whole idea of saints anyway? Why bother? Join Diana and Tripp this Lent as they explore “sainthood” for an American — and global — future. We’ll share stories that need to be told of “saints” you know and those you need to know in a quirky learning journey through American religious history. Dr. Bill Leonard is Founding Dean and Professor of Divinity Emeritus at Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity. Leonard’s research focuses on Church History with particular attention to American religion, Baptist studies, and Appalachian religion. He is the author or editor of some 25 books including Christianity in Appalachia (1999); Baptist Ways: A History (2003); The Challenge of Being Baptist (2010); Can I Get a Witness?: Essays, Sermons and Reflections (2013); and  A Sense of the Heart: Christian Religious Experience in the U.S., (2014). In March 2015 he delivered the William James Lecture on Religious Experience at Harvard Divinity School and in February 2017 he gave the William Self Lectures on Preaching at McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University. His newest book, The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to Church History: Flaming Heretics and Heavy Drinkers, was  published by Fortress Press in July 2017. Leonard is on the board of the Journal of Disability and Religion, The Baptist Quarterly (England), the Day1 Preaching Network, the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, and the Governing Board of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship. His sabbatical research focuses on a new book, tentatively entitled: “Security or Idolatry?: A History of Religion and Firearms in the U.S.† Leonard writes a twice-monthly column for Baptist News Global, is an ordained Baptist minister, and a member of First Baptist Church, Highland Avenue (American Baptist Churches, USA) in Winston-Salem. Check out these books by Dr. Leonard: A Sense of the Heart: Christian Religious Experience in the United States Baptist Ways: A History The Challenge of Being Baptist: Owning a Scandalous Past and an Uncertain Future Word of God Across the Ages: Using Christian History in Preaching The Homebrewed Christianity Guide to Church History: Flaming Heretics and Heavy Drinkers Previous Podcasts w/ Dr. Leonard the Fundamentalization of American Religion Listening Beyond the Times The History and Transformation of American Christianity Faith and Politics Through Church History Previous Episodes with Diana & Tripp Ruining Christmas Dinner Ruining Election Night Dinner The Over-Rated Genie God Bad Blood, Civil War, and other Soothing Topics Shall the Fundies (Keep) Winning?, Abortion, and Black Holes Theology and Spirituality in a Time of Rupture White Evangelical Theopolitics, John Shelby Spong, & Jesus 20 Years of Religious Decline Jesus After Religion and Beyond Fear Ruining Dinner with Diana Butler Bass and Robyn Henderson-Espinoza Evangelical Decline, the Supreme Court, and the Horizon of Possibility Debating, Praying, and Living with Tyrants Religion, Politics, & the Elephant in the Room Follow the podcast, drop a review, or become a member of the HBC Community.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices